Apopka has five water treatment plants, all of which get their water from the underground Floridan aquifer. This aquifer is replenished by rain water that percolates hundreds of feet through sand and rock, where it benefits from natural filtration.
Still, the water goes through extensive treatment to ensure that it fulfills all federal standards for drinking water. According to a 2021 report by the Apopka Public Services Department, the purpose of this extensive treatment is to ensure the safety of its citizens and employees through the provision of safe drinking water.
Federal laws stipulate the standards water treatment companies must meet before distributing water to consumers, all of which the Apopka Public Services Department has fulfilled. But federal standards do not equate to safety.
According to EWG (Environmental Working Group), federal standards for water treatment have remained the same for the last 20 years, with some standards being as old as 40 years.
This is despite research that shows that some standards need revising. EWG sets guidelines that are safe by today's standards which, compared to the water from Apopka's taps, shows that the water has some potential safety issues.
Water processing plants have a responsibility to provide safe drinking water to consumers. If you are made ill by consuming contaminated water, you have a right to file for compensation for damages suffered.
An example where water processing companies can be held liable is the ongoing lawsuit against Camp Lejeune Marine Base water treatment facilities. The lawsuits were filed by servicemen and women, veterans, and their families who were exposed to polluted water and suffered various health complications, including cancer.
Proving a case against a water treatment facility may not be straightforward. So you may need to work with personal injury lawyers that have experience working similar cases.
Chlorate is a compound containing the chlorate anion (ClO⁻ ₃). The chlorate in water results from disinfectants that find their way into water bodies. There is no federal limit on the allowable level of chlorate in drinking water, but EWG sets 210ppb as the permissible limit for chlorate in water.
The national average chlorate levels are 114.8 parts per billion (ppb). Florida State averages 270.3ppb, while Apopka has 505.2 ppb, more than double the EWG guidelines.
Studies show that high chlorate level in drinking water impairs the thyroid, an organ responsible for producing critical hormones. Thyroid impairment becomes a significant problem for pregnant mothers and young children.
Two types of haloacetic acids occur at relatively high levels in Apopka's drinking water; HAA9 and HAA5. Haloacetic acids are formed when choline is added to the water as part of purification.
The federal limit for HAA5 is 60ppb. Apopka's tap water falls well below this range at 28.4ppb but is 284 times above the EWG guidelines of 0.1ppb.
There is no federal limit for HAA9. EWG guidelines have 0.06 as the safe level. Going by the EWG guideline, Apopka's water is 492 times the allowable limit. According to recent studies, high levels of haloacetic acids can cause cancer.
Like haloacetic acids, TTHMs contaminants are a byproduct of the chlorine used to treat drinking water and are known to cause some types of cancer.
According to EWG guidelines, anything above 0.15ppb is not safe for human consumption. Still, Apopka's water has a TTHMs concentration of 50.9ppb, which is 339 times higher than the EWG guideline but below the federal limit of 80ppb.
There is also a significant concentration of lead in Apopka's water. Samples collected in 2017 showed a concentration of 1.0ppb. While the presence of lead in water can never be a good thing, this concentration falls way below the federal limit of 15ppb.
However, studies have shown that a concentration of as low as 3.8ppb can result in elevated blood lead levels in young children.
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